Final crucial day of voting in an Indian election too close to call

Euronews

It is the fifth and final day of India’s closely fought election and experts are predicting a weak coalition could emerge as winner.

India’s elections are notoriously difficult to call.
It means parties like the Communists, which previously propped up the ruling Congress-led alliance, could play a vital role in the post-election horse-trading that many are predicting.
The Leader of the Communist Party of India, Brinda Karat, cast her vote today, saying, “I felt good because my vote is for an alternative secular progressive government at the centre and I’m sure that my individual vote added to that.”
Today’s vote is being held in nine provinces including West Bengal to the east where the ruling communist alliance helped swing the last election in 2004 when its support gave Congress a majority in parliament.
Congress is battling for re-election against a grouping led by the Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party. While many are tipping Congress, the pro-business BJP is seen as having gained late traction through some savvy alliance building.
India is the world’s most populace democracy and with hundreds of millions of votes to count, the election outcome will not be known until Saturday.